Broadcasting telematics data to nearby mobile devices, vehicles, and infrastructure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9832241-B1
Application number	US-201614989950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 7, 2016
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of generating and broadcasting telematics and/or image data is provided. Telematics and/or image data may be collected, with customer permission, in real-time by a mobile device (or a Telematics App running thereon) traveling within an originating vehicle. The telematics data may include acceleration, braking, speed, heading, and location data associated with the originating vehicle. The mobile device may generate an updated telematics data broadcast including up-to-date telematics data at least every few seconds; and then broadcast the updated telematics data broadcast at least every few seconds via wireless communication to another computing device to facilitate alerting another vehicle or driver of an abnormal traffic condition or event that the originating vehicle is experiencing. An amount that an insured uses or otherwise employs the telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality may be used with usage-based insurance, or to calculate or adjust insurance premiums or discounts.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A computer-implemented method of generating and broadcasting telematics data, the method comprising:
(1) generating telematics data that is sampled by one or more sensors or meters of an originating mobile computing device when the one or more sensors or meters indicates that the originating mobile computing device is stationary with respect to an originating vehicle and is located within the originating vehicle, the originating mobile computing device:
(i) having a Telematics Application (App) installed or stored locally in a non-transitory computer-readable memory unit, and
(ii) being associated with a driver of the originating vehicle, the telematics data including acceleration, braking, speed, compass heading, and location-related data associated with an operation of the originating vehicle;

(2) periodically generating, via the originating mobile computing device or the Telematics App, an updated telematics data broadcast including up-to-date telematics data; and
(3) broadcasting, via a transceiver under the direction or control of the originating mobile computing device or the Telematics App, the updated telematics data via wireless communication or data transmission to a destination mobile computing device that is associated with a destination vehicle or a driver,
wherein the destination mobile computing device or the destination vehicle receives the telematics data and the destination mobile computing device directs corrective actions based upon a determined relevance of an identified anomaly via a telematics application executed on the destination mobile computing device by causing the destination mobile computing device to alert the destination vehicle or driver of an abnormal traffic condition or event that the originating vehicle is experiencing, and to display insurance policy pricing adjustment information associated with the driver that is based upon a driver risk due to the identified anomaly, so as to promote or reward risk averse behavior and safer driving via the displayed insurance policy pricing adjustment information, and
wherein the relevance of the identified anomaly is determined based upon whether a location of the originating vehicle as determined based upon the telematics data is within a threshold distance of a current location of the destination mobile computing device or the destination vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the telematics data generated by the Telematics App on the originating mobile computing device indicates that the originating vehicle is experiencing high traffic conditions, congestion, road construction, or extreme weather conditions.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the telematics data further includes deceleration, Global Positioning System (GPS) location, and lane information associated with the originating vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the telematics data further includes one or more of: time, left turn, right turn, Global Positioning System (GPS) speed, GPS latitude and longitude, gyroscope data, battery level data, or telephone usage information or data of, or associated with, the originating vehicle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein (i) the telematics application executed on the destination mobile computing device, or (ii) a smart vehicle controller associated with the destination vehicle, upon receiving the broadcasted telematics data, causes one of the destination mobile computing device or the smart vehicle controller to (i) determine that an abnormal traffic condition or event exists at the location of the originating vehicle, and (ii) automatically take a preventive or corrective action when the abnormal traffic condition or event is detected,
wherein the preventive or corrective action taken includes:
providing an audio or audible alert, at or via a destination mobile computing device or smart vehicle controller.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein (i) the telematics application executed on the destination mobile computing device, or (ii) a smart vehicle controller associated with the destination vehicle, upon receiving the broadcasted telematics data, causes one of the destination mobile computing device or the smart vehicle controller to (i) determine that an abnormal traffic condition or event exists at the location of the originating vehicle, and (ii) automatically take a preventive or corrective action when the abnormal traffic condition or event is detected, the preventive or corrective action taken includes one or more of:
generating, determining, or receiving an alternate travel route that avoids a Global Positioning System (GPS) location of the abnormal traffic condition or event, at or via the destination mobile computing device or smart vehicle controller;
presenting the alternative travel route, at or via the destination mobile computing device or smart vehicle controller, on a display or display screen for use by the driver; or
providing audio driving directions for the destination vehicle to travel along the alternate travel route.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the telematics data is (1) generated or collected by the originating mobile computing device, or the Telematics App executing thereon, and (2) transmitted from the transceiver under a direction or control of the originating mobile computing device or the Telematics App to the destination mobile computing device or a smart vehicle controller associated with the destination vehicle via (i) a peer-to-peer (P2P) wireless communication or data transmission, or (ii) via a secure electronic communication network.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the telematics data is (1) generated or collected by the originating mobile computing device, or the Telematics App executing thereon, and (2) transmitted from the originating mobile computing device to a remote server and then relayed or transmitted from the remote server to the destination mobile computing device or a smart vehicle controller associated with the destination vehicle via wireless communication or data transmission.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , the method further comprising:
determining or identifying, by one or more processors, an insured customer having a mobile computing device configured with telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality, or the Telematics App; and
adjusting or modifying, by the one or more processors, an insurance policy, premium, or discount for the insured customer based upon the insured customer having a mobile computing device equipped with or configured to have the telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality, or equipped with the Telematics App.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , the method further comprising:
determining or identifying, by one or more processors associated with the remote server, an insured customer having a mobile computing device configured with telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality, or the Telematics App;
monitoring, by the one or more processors associated with the remote server, a time amount or a mileage amount that the insured customer drives an insured vehicle with the telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality, or the Telematics App, that is enabled or executing on a mobile computing device associated with the insured customer; and
adjusting or modifying, by the one or more processors associated with the remote server, an insurance policy, premium, or discount for the insured customer based upon a usage or an amount that the insured customer uses or employs

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Hayward Gregory

Classifications

• B60W40/10

  related to vehicle motion · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• G06Q10/047

  Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem · CPC title

• H04W4/027

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title

• H04W4/06

  Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services · CPC title